Starcraft 2: Thoughts of the Swarm
by Jdbl00d
Summary: Kerrigan is the Heart of the Swarm. But she is not the only one who has thoughts. This story details the possible thoughts of those who serve the Queen of Blades.
1. Izsha

**Author's note:**

 **So with Legacy of the Void coming, I decided it was time to get this started before it comes own.**

 **This is just my idea of probably what was going on in the minds of Kerrigan's top commanders/advisors prior to her meeting them.**

 **Read and comment for anything!**

 **Jdbl00d**

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The Leviathan steadied itself within orbit of the planet Char. Since the loss of their queen, the Zerg Swarm had been divided into multiple factions. Some were now led by broodmothers like Zagara, who sought to create their own swarms. Others were being led by other broodmothers that still remained loyal to the Queen of Blades, hoping for her return until the coming of a new, stronger queen.

And others were being led by, whatever else served the Queen.

It wasn't her primary function, but Izsha could still hold sway over a fairly large number of zerg creatures. When the Terran's invasion of Char had reached its climax, the Queen of Blades had ordered her and numerous other Zerg aboard this Leviathan. After all, Izsha's survival was second only to that of the Queen herself, not because she was a powerful organism capable of tearing the foes of the Swarm asunder or the successor to the Zerg queen. No, Izsha served a very different purpose.

She was created by the Queen of Blades herself to ensure that her will carried on even after death. With the ruthless strength and cunning of the now missing (possibly deceased) Queen of Blades, it became apparent that should she disappear, the Swarm would fragment, grow decadent, _weak_. The Queen surmised that it was not acceptable and had started to create an, advisor, of sorts. Thus, Izsha came into being.

Izsha sensed that the Leviathan had put considerable distance between itself and Zagara's brood upon the surface. The broodmother sought to create a new Swarm and had begun asserting her control over the numerous surviving Zerg. However, Izsha was not something Zagara could control and thus, remained free. Until, of course, Zagara truly became the new leader for the Zerg.

Izsha commanded the Leviathan to hold its position as she sifted through the millions of other Zerg minds that were upon the massive creature. As she did, she recalled another memory that was not her own.

Izsha's mind now drifted back to a few weeks before, when the Zerg were finally aroused from their 4-year long wait. She beheld her queen within the primary Hive cluster upon the smouldering surface of Char.

"You summoned me my Queen?" Izsha had replied, her tendrils twitching and writhing from where she was.

"Izsha." The Queen of Blades answered. "As I have said before, I experienced a vision of the Swarm's destruction." At this answer, Izsha's brow furrowed. The tone the queen was cold, but urgent.

"Shall I alert your broodmothers my Queen?" Izsha spoke. "Shall I have them prepare our defences for the coming battle?"

"Alert the broodmothers, yes." The Queen nodded. "But have the Swarm spread out. Invade every planet within the sector, kill anything you see. Those are my orders to them."

"I shall tell them my Queen." Izsha nodded. However, before she left, Izsha turned to the Queen once more, this time with an answer she had been pondering. "What is this enemy that is so powerful even for the Swarm? How will we die? Will another take your place?"

"That is of no concern for you." The Queen snapped back. "Just remember this, before we die, before the apocalypse comes and the stars burn, all shall be one with the Swarm."

Izsha now put the recollection back into the corner of her mind as she delegated new tasks to a small group of drones. That was among the most recent additions to the bank of memories that Izsha herself had stored, detailing every thought, plan and experience that her Queen had faced, that they may be of use for the Swarm; that the Queen of Blades never truly died. Just like the old cerebrates who once commanded the Swarm for the now dead Overmind, Izsha was, in essence the reincarnation of Sarah Kerrigan herself.

Something rippled within the cold vacuum of space. Izsha tapped into the Leviathan's central nerve cortex to see a small Terran dropship heading their way. Izsha did not conclude it to be a threat, having seen many of these before. How could something so small threaten a Leviathan? Nevertheless, Izsha remained on guard for the slightest hazard.

Then, she sensed it. A familiar presence. It was Zerg, and yet, not Zerg at the same time. Izsha sensed the roiling power within this being, as cold as the vacuum of space, but as hot as a star, along with something else Izsha couldn't quite understand. She sensed a great plan in motion, one that would overturn the universe as they knew it. And more than that, Izsha sensed the creature's mind, seeing all the subconscious memories within.

Memories that Izsha herself had seen once before.

Was it possible? Was the Queen of Blades still alive? Had she returned to lead the Swarm once more? Izsha didn't have the answers, but unless otherwise, the Queen of Blades was the true ruler of the Swarm. As such, Izsha knew her place was right beside her.

The dropship had landed. Zerglings had started to crowd around it. Izsha now made her way to the Terran ship. She will see if this was her Queen, and if so, stand by her once more.


	2. Abathur

Screams sounded from within the dank space of the evolution chamber. Another failed experiment. As this went on, the creature slowly contemplated newer experiments, all in the name of achieving perfection. The being known as Abathur pressed its hands together, pondering what else could he do with the other organisms aboard the Leviathan.

"Require essence. Little diversity." Abathur said to himself. True, with the actions of the Xel'Naga artefact, most Zerg strains were pushed to the limit, with some disappearing completely. At least Abathur was able to work with Zerglings. At the core, all Zerg were more or less the same, albeit with different genetic structures and functions. But even so, working with just Zerglings wasn't going to be enough.

"Different organism, different responses to stress." It said to itself. However, being stuck in the cold maw of space created very little stresses for an organism to experience. Space. Abathur disliked space. There was absolutely no way for the Swarm to improve in the lifeless void. There was no essence and there was nothing for the Zerg to do. Adaptation has been placed on hold.

Abathur went up to a Zergling that was encased in a cocoon. With his scythe-like pincers, he extracted part of the Zergling's flesh. The Zerg snarled in pain, but Abathur paid it no heed.

"Pain valuable feedback for organism. Heightened pain detection? Must consider." Abathur said to himself as he devoured the Zergling's flesh. His body broke it down to the simplest of genetic material, sifting through the myriad sequences that made the Zergling what it was.

"Swarm not good enough! Not!" Abathur growled. He saw the Zerglin's DNA, saw the essence of the creature itself. He wondered if he could effectively create improvements upon this or even diversify the Zergling itself.

"Constant adaptation, improvements, lead to stronger organism. Lead to perfection." Abathur agreed. His work on the Zerg never stopped. It was his duty to ensure the Swarm kept evolving, changing, becoming greater. That was his one and only function since he was created by the Overmind.

He remembered the days long ago. Abathur didn't know how long and neither did it matter. He remembered the Overmind giving him his name, his purpose, his place within the Zerg. When the Overmind died, Abathur's thoughts degenerated. He wandered forever within the tunnels of Char, his one directive being the only thought driving his actions. He found numerous Zerg and adapted them all, driving them towards perfection. That was how he met his new leader.

"What are you?" The voice commanded. Abathur looked up from his latest catch, a Zergling, to the imposing humanoid figure. He didn't like humans. Too primitive, too rigid in their essence and sequences. Then, he noticed this human was strange. Her skin was covered in thick carapace, with bony armour plating at certain areas. Upon its head was a mass of spiny tendrils that appeared alive while two huge wings sprouted out of its back, sharp enough to shear a similarly sized creature in two. Abathur now realized something, a single overriding will that now crept its way into his mind. Something familiar, just like that of the Overmind.

"Abathur." He had answered. "Function to evolve Swarm. Created by Overmind. Served him. Improve Swarm, seek perfection in all things."

"Perfection?" The creature replied. "Explain."

"Answer difficult." Abathur spoke. "Change organism, direct evolution. This my purpose. Change Swarm. Make Zerg strong, perfect."

"Strong?" The voice answered, suddenly growing interested. "I do like a strong Swarm. Very well, you shall serve me now. I am the Queen of Blades, and I could use someone like you."

Abathur gestured to the Zergling. "Organism in dire need of improvement. Will head to evolution pit, begin work immediately."

"Very good." The Queen of Blades answered. "Additionally, I was wondering if you could help me with assimilating new strains. Will it be too difficult?"

"Difficulty unimportant." Abathur replied. "Only essence required. Acquire essence, assimilation possible."

"Well then, we'd best get started." The Queen replied.

Abathur now turned his attention back to his current task. "Memories distracting, reduce efficiency of tasks, unproductive."

Then, he sensed something. A message from the entity known as Izsha. The Queen has returned.

"New master, new purpose for Swarm. New purpose requires change. Change will bring perfection." Abathur concluded. Perhaps change was not far off after all…


	3. Zagara

**Hi all.**

 **I want to apologise for the delays in getting these up. I am currently on a 3-week internship and it's hard to put aside time for this right now.**

 **Still, I hope you are enjoying this story. Do read and comment.**

 **Jdbl00d**

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Zagara watched as another Zergling came in and placed the small egg down within the bowels of her hatchery. "Quickly!" Zagara commanded and the nearby Zerg hastened to their broodmother's voice. "The eggs must be harvested as fast as possible!"

Drones scurried around the creep infested soil of Char's acid marsh, moving the eggs to a more secure location. Zagara watched as they continued with their tasks, satisfied with the obedience of her command. The broodmother stalked outside to survey the rest of her brood. Zerglings swarmed all around while Overlords hung overhead. Hydralisks hissed and snapped, as if itching for the blood of the foolish terrans.

Since they had invaded and deployed the Xel'Naga artefact, the Swarm lay broken, with the Queen of Blades going missing. As the first of the broodmothers, Zagara saw it as her rightful place to be the new leader of the Swarm. And it ought to be. Upon the surface of Char, Zagara had learned to adapt and survive in the fiery landscape. The heat had made her flesh thicker and tougher, the sharp rocks helping her to develop carapace as tough as the armor the Terran troops wore.

But still, it wasn't enough to prevent the Terrans' victory. And thus, Zagara knew greater strength was required. To that end, she had placed herself within situations that would surely make her stronger. Stranding herself in a pit where the only way out was to climb the slippery walls had made her claws sharper. Burying herself within rubble and rock to improve her burrowing, dousing herself in acid to make her very skin resistant to the burn and improving her speed upon the ground by risking her own self amidst the lava flows of Char.

But her greatest achievement was to be able to reconstitute her very flesh. Few Zerg could heal now as quickly and efficiently as her. With all these changes to her very being, Zagara was confident that no Zerg was stronger than her upon the planet. Her mind now recalled her conversation with her Queen moments before the final Terran push came.

"Remember Zagara." The Queen of Blades had said. "The Zerg are a savage race. For those who lead them, we must be more forceful in strength and in will. This ensures our command, our leadership among all."

"I understand my Queen." Zagara wholly agreed. The Queen of Blades did not earn her leadership of the Swarm simply because she was named as such by the Overmind. She earned her place due to her cunning, savagery and viciousness. Her strength was unmatched by all who went against her, be they Terran or Protoss. No one faced the Queen of Blades and lived to tell the tale.

But now, a severe setback was upon the Swarm. With the loss of the great Queen, the Terrans, in their hubris, had claimed Char as their own. Zagara did not stand for this and attempted to drive them off. However, their Gorgon battlecruisers had utterly destroyed the majority of her forces the last time she had tried to rush through the bone trench. She surmised that if she had little forces, she would gather more, creating a push that would swarm and overwhelm them with numbers, viciousness and speed.

Thus this has led to her position in the acid marshes of Char, where the Queen of Blades kept many eggs in reserve should the need arise. That time was now, and Zagara would make brilliant use of these eggs.

Suddenly, she sensed a tremor in the atmosphere of Char. Reaching out with her mind, she saw the massive form of a Leviathan descend upon the molten landscapes. She could sense the countless Zerg within, the entity known as Izsha, the creature Abathur and finally…

Zagara was confused now. The psionic signature was familiar to that of the Queen of Blades. She stretched out her senses, hoping to see if her Queen had truly returned. If so, she would once again serve her, as it should. However, upon closer inspection, Zagara now saw that this was not the Queen of Blades. Instead, it was the form of a weak and feeble Terran woman that Zagara could snap into two at any moment.

Zagara bristled with hostility, as did the rest of her brood. This puny Terran wished to reclaim control over the Swarm? Unthinkable! The Zerg led by force of strength and will! No pathetic Terran could ever dream of becoming their leader! This is not the Queen of Blades and Zagara refused to be led by such a feeble being.

Zagara pondered, thinking of how to deal with this situation. She didn't think for long. The answer was clear.

"I will crush you!" Zagara growled. "You shall regret ever challenging my rule. I AM THE SWARM!"


	4. Dehaka

Dehaka hissed as he watched another battle end, with the victor feasting upon the remains of the fallen. Change was instantaneous, with the survivor now growing more spines upon its back and its skin changed colour, from pale green to a rusty reddish hue. The Zerg roared, its victorious cry now echoing through the jungles of Zerus.

He nipped at the stump of what his left arm used to be. Ever since he lost it, he had been wondering exactly how long it would take for him to restore it. The other Primal pack leaders would scoff at his unwillingness to simply consume more to grow back the severed limb if they weren't interested in how good a meal he would make. Thankfully though, he didn't seem to be very tasty. The victorious Zerg had not yet spotted him. To a powerful Primal pack leader like Dehaka, this was easy prey.

Dehaka retreated back into the shadows of the trees, away from the victorious Primal. If it were any Zerg, it would have jumped at the chance of striking at the creature in its arrogance, felling it with a surprise attack and then feasting upon its essence, growing stronger, growing greater.

But Dehaka was not any Zerg. No, he did not seek power or strength. Essence wasn't power to forcefully destroy one's enemies. It was the drop of newer possibilities within his very frame. His scales were thick, but they could still be ripped apart. Change will alter them, make them tougher, allowing him to live. His body was strong, densely packed with muscles. But muscles atrophied, even for a Zerg. Change would renew them, make them young again, keep them fit and strong.

Essence was change. Evolve and live, stay still and die. That was what Dehaka firmly believed. Thus, he kept his distance from the other creatures and focused more on finding newer essences for himself and his pack.

Still, Zerus had run out of many surprises for Dehaka. The only thing he killed long ago was a Swarm Host that had managed to evolve the ability to effectively create clones of itself. Dehaka was intrigued by the new essence and ended up devouring it. Since then, he had gone three weeks without any new prey to hunt. Zerus had seemingly dried up of all essences.

Something growled overhead. Dehaka looked up to see a flock of Primal Guardians race past, as if they were frantic about something. Dehaka growled, wondering what could have startled these flying Zerg. Deciding that it was at least worth the day, and that he was utterly bored, Dehaka raced through the undergrowth, intent on seeing this new commotion.

As he ran, he could now glimpse the massive form of a behemoth creature behind the canopy of the trees. Dehaka wondered where this creature could have come from, and what sort of essence lay within its very flesh.

Dehaka broke through the trees at last, and now he saw what he could describe as magnificent. The behemoth was too large to attack, it being almost the size of Zerus's largest mountains. However, it was the creatures surrounding it that he took interest in. Small, squat insectoid creatures skittered about upon a strange black goo, spitting out some sort of fluid that quickly dissolved nearby rocks. Serpentine creatures slithered about, their scythe-like claws slicing apart undergrowth and scaring off the nearby Quilgor.

He had never seen creatures like these before, but he instinctively knew they were Zerg. They smelled like Zerg, they looked like Zerg, though they didn't behave like Zerg.

Dehaka had known great detail of the corrupted ones, filthy versions of the Primals that had left Zerus aeons ago. But he had never seen them in person. Looking at them now, Dehaka's spirit leaped. Before him was a bountiful field of new essence just waiting to be claimed.

Then, a strange bloated creature floated down. From within its bowels, a person stepped out. Dehaka blinked in alarm. This creature was unlike anything he had ever seen. It did not have scales, but instead had what looked like a beige coloured skin. It had hands and legs, but they were straight, well proportioned. Its face was round, almost circular and from the crown, a mass of tendrils emerged, resembling hair. Its body was covered in grey that constantly flashed with orange lights.

And it was powerful. Dehaka watched as the remaining Zerg bowed before this creature, making way as she walked. This, he reasoned, was the leader of this pack, or whatever this group called itself. Its essence would indeed be one to savour.

As much as Dehaka was entranced, he knew charging headlong wasn't the way one stayed alive. He could bring his whole pack, and they still wouldn't be enough. But he wasn't willing to simply give up newfound essence.

By his observations, these Zerg had returned to Zerus, meaning they had access to other worlds, perhaps worlds were stranger creatures existed. And where stranger creatures existed, new essence could be found. How then, would he acquire it?

He should join, Dehaka reasoned. Ally himself and his pack with this new leader. He would follow so long as he could claim essence. Yes, that was a reasonable argument. He could of course use force, but that would only get him killed. He sensed the power lying dormant within this pack's leader and knew he would not stand a chance. The other Primals would see this as betrayal to their kind, but Dehaka was above such petty racial moralities. Change needn't just be in his body. It could also be in the path he led his pack down. Change the way they would live so as to survive, or stay the same and be destroyed by the new Zerg that had arrived.

"Essence flows. I follow. I change." Dehaka said to himself as he edged forwards for a closer look. He would observe first to see if it was worthwhile to follow this new pack. If it was, then the path of change was clear. The path to more essence, the path to survival.


	5. Stukov

He could see green hills, the wind making the leaves rustle and the grass sway, rippling as they did. He could see oceans of blue, grand cities with shimmering skyscrapers that towered into the air.

He remembered the charred smell of a lit cigarette as the smoke wafted through the air with every puff. He could faintly recall the taste of vodka, his favourite alcoholic beverage that he would have on special occasions. He remembered his best friend, Gerard Dugalle, whom he had shared many close moments with.

He could remember the moment he was betrayed and killed. Then, that was where the memories got fuzzy. He could then recall the agony his mind and body underwent during his resurrection and infestation, the hold that the Zerg cerebrate Kaloth had over him. He could faintly recall the joint Protoss-Terran force that assaulted the brood and injected him with the serum that would cure him.

Alexei Stukov now opened his eyes, staring at the reddish sky around Skygeirr Station. He wondered why he even agreed to be handed over to Moebius so that they may research the Protoss cure. After all, pessimism won in the end. The Zerg virus soon enough overwhelmed the serum's effects. He was forced to watch as his flesh once more mutated and changed, resembling the usual visage of any infested Terran.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the bastard named Emil Narud had decided to use that moment to experiment on him. The result? A very powerful infested Terran with his own free will who has suffered at least 4 years' worth of agony and being treated as another lab specimen. From UED vice admiral to just some test subject in a laboratory. Quite a drop that Stukov wasn't happy about.

But even worse was how he had the feeling that Narud was so familiar. Using his strengthened telepathic powers, Stukov had finally put two and two together. The fact the same man who shot him dead now experimented on him left him a very sore person. He'd love nothing more than to wring the neck of the cur and squeeze the life out of him. However, Narud was far too powerful. The minute he touched his mind, a cold agony had surged through him. It wasn't smart picking a fight he couldn't win, so Stukov had to be content with waiting for an opportunity.

And now, it had come. After four years, the Zerg had returned to ravage the universe again. He could still remember the ferocious power of the Swarm, the lives it took, the lands it burned. The monstrous being who led them all.

Sometime later though, the Dominion security guards had begun gossiping on how the dreaded Queen of Blades had been reverted to her human form. And then, as time went by, he had heard more news, on how the Zerg were resuming their attacks on Dominion territory, on rumors that Kerrigan was now leading the Swarm again.

But just some weeks ago, he felt a powerful tremor echo through the universe. He could feel Kerrigan's power coursing through the stars from some distant planet. At that moment, he knew his time had come. Thankfully, Narud's experiments had given him more power than he had before. With it, he had melted through the walls of his cell, along with dissolving any guards he met with corrosive acid.

As he made his escape from the facility, he had seen other nefarious experiments of Narud's including the monstrous hybrid, atrocities that he never thought would be possible. He felt their power and hatred coursing through his very body, how his very being felt like it was being ripped apart just by standing by them. All the more reason he had to contact her. Even if they were once enemies, surely Kerrigan would be more concerned with the hybrid that could be unleashed against her.

Stukov now stood up. It had been a few days since his escape and he was sure he had evaded the Moebius guards. Sure, Narud would be prepared for the upcoming attack. But many believed they were ready for the Swarm. The same number had died against them. If anything, the Queen of Blades was his best chance at sweet vengeance, and if he could unleash the horror he is now upon Narud and his Moebius forces, well that would be a bonus.

Reaching out with his mind, he found a Zerg brood. Sensing the broodmother, he sent the message.

"I know you seek to topple Mengsk. His alien soldiers, the hybrid, are your greatest threat. If you wish to stop them, meet me at these coordinates." Upon finishing, he turned to Skygeirr station. He imagined it burning, swarming with hundreds upon thousands of Zerg. As he did, his lips curled into a smile, one he hadn't had in a long time.


End file.
